The Plaid Pladd

In what has become a yearly tradition, it’s time to list my goals for 2015! I mainly write blog posts about them to hold myself accountable. It’s way more motivation to accomplish things when you know you’ll have to explain yourself to the internet if you don’t. This year I have seven goals again, which seems a little audacious considering how well last year’s six goals went. But 2015 is going to be awesome and I can do this! But I might need your help (see below).

1. Read 1 book each month I think I’ll disagree with

I thought of this goal when I decided to check out Rush Limbaugh’s ridiculous time-traveling children’s book to laugh at one weekend. The thought occurred to me while driving home from work that what if it was good??? This seemed kind of unlikely, but there was always a chance that dude managed to restrain his intense grossness for the children. And he kind of did? In that this book was just massively boring instead of actively trying to kill me with its terribleness. Anyway, I determined to become more informed about things I think I disagree with, and at least give other people the chance I would hope they’d grant me. Plus, if they don’t manage to change my mind, at least I’ll be more informed about the things I dislike.

Like that time I read all the Twilight books

2. Finish I Detonate Around Him
Speaking of things I dislike, it’s finally time to get back to my tumblr that mocks the 50 Shades of Grey series. I’m on the third book, I can power through this bullshit.

3. Visit every restaurant on my list of restaurants to visit
Last year I checked out a book about restaurants in the triangle, and naturally made a spreadsheet of all the ones that sounded cool. But you know my spreadsheets just get ignored unless I make a big deal blog project out of them.

4. Review at least 1 thing online a month
I realized last year that I rely heavily on online reviews when deciding things like what blender to buy or where to take my car for an oil change, but I never write online reviews myself. That is going to change right now! I have to start giving back for the good of the community.

5. Plaid Pladd Blog: One guest blog post per month
This is where I need your help. I thought it might be fun to invite people who aren’t me to write blog posts, especially people who don’t have their own blog or can’t be bothered to update it regularly because that shit’s hard, man, I get it. You could write a blog post about anything! Here are just some ideas:

1) a review of some restaurant or place you love (or hate?) with pictures!
2) a book review
3) a tutorial on something you know how to do
4) explain your daily schedule in gifs
5) why something you love is awesome and/or something you hate is stupid
6) you can answer some of my spam mail if you want
7) THE ONLY LIMIT IS YOUR IMAGINATION

Hit me up if you’re into it. Or I can badger you about it when I get desperate in August. Your choice.

This guy already agreed, so you know it’s solid

6. Knit a sweater

Oh yeah, it’s back. Technically in 2013 I vowed to knit a cardigan, not a sweater, and I’m already more confident that this will get done where that one totally failed. Because it’s purple so I automatically love it more. I’m using a pattern out of this book:

The Knit Parade by Rebecca Rymsza

7. Get hella into a different Dewey Decimal Class each month

You’re no John Cotton Dana, but I’ll take it

This goal is related to #1, sort of, in that I’m worried about my narrow focus of only choosing books I think I’ll like. You miss a lot that way! Time to break out of that filter bubble and explore some new territory.

You know I’m looking forward to June when I’ll be tackling PURE SCIENCE

This month is the 000 class, which is kind of the “whatever, just add that in there since it doesn’t fit anywhere else” of the Dewey Decimal Classification system. Like, I just went to the library and checked out a book on the history of statistics and also one on IS ATLANTIS REAL? because those two things belong together.

Updates when I feel like it! It’s going to be a good year.